Holistic Solution to Airport Staffing Shortages

The Challenge: Airport communities face a significant labor shortage. Our industry has struggled to keep operating at capacity and open in all business aspects due to the lack of workers. The workforce has changed due to large aviation industry turnover, and the lack of a ready and skilled employee pool has resulted in skeleton staffing for airport stakeholders.

Skilled and qualified applicant labor pools are constricted by the need for security clearances for most positions in airport facilities. The increased competition within all industries, with respect to wages, hours, and benefits, has impacted aviation tremendously. Tactics taken to address the immediate challenge, such as job fairs and hiring blitzes, are sporadic and unsustainable. This can drain disparate Human Resources departments and unintentionally lead to intense labor competition among aviation industry employers for a finite pool of workers.

The recent passage of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will provide state and local governments the ability to develop innovative approaches to proactively address airport staffing shortages. Adams and Associates Inc. and Safety & Security Instruction (Adams/SSi) propose a holistic workforce development solution to address all airport stakeholder needs.

The Solution: Adams/SSi can establish onsite, one-stop, Airport Talent Centers (ATCs). ATCs are innovative approaches solely dedicated to workforce development within airports. They offer a consistent approach to addressing immediate and ongoing labor shortages. This consolidation of staff recruitment maximizes economies of scale and reduces the strain on the decentralized and far-flung airport stakeholder HR departments.

As your ATC operator, we will work with all aviation tenants and departments to analyze staffing needs. We will provide training to applicants to ensure a world-class employment experience. Our ATCs will stimulate career opportunities through collaboration with community groups, veterans’ organizations, local workforce entities, and community colleges.

In addition to the traditional outreach methods, we will place particular focus on recruitment with organizations that serve veterans, first-time workers, and disadvantaged and underserved populations. We will conduct off-site outreach events, establish a consistent community presence and leverage social media to increase applicant engagement and drive success. Our ATC approach puts applicants at the forefront of the process. It provides job applicants with a streamlined, easily understandable transition from application to training to hiring. Applicants will come to the same location to learn about all airport job opportunities, as well as preparational training for those opportunities. Aviation stakeholders will visit the ATC to conduct job interviews and refer employees for additional career advancement training.

Even the most skilled worker can fail to be hired if they cannot be credentialed to work with unescorted access. Adams/SSi intends to ensure all applicants are pre-screened for efficient security credentialing. Our solution will ensure a streamlined approach to transforming community residents and interested applicants into productive airport team members.

The Adams/SSi Advantage

Adams and Associates Inc.: Adams is based in Reno, NV, and has more than 30 years of experience providing workforce development to job seekers to overcome barriers to employment. Adams employs 2,000 people and is the second-largest contractor in the USDOL’s Job Corps program, the federal government’s residential training and employment program for economically disadvantaged youth ages 16 to 24. Adams recruits more than 5,000 participants for workforce development programs across the country and provides job readiness services to 9,000 participants. Adams places 84% of students into skilled services and professional careers.

Safety & Security Instruction: SSi is based in Phoenix, AZ, and has nearly 20 years of experience in aviation industry training. SSi boasts a dedicated staff of instructional experts that deliver employee training services. SSi is the only curriculum design company focused on the development of training specific to the airport community. SSi trains more than 300,000 participants for airport security and safety job duties across 65 airports worldwide and delivers more than 1 million secure online training events. In addition, SSi hosts onsite workshops for specialized professional duties in aviation credentialing.

Constant Community Engagement: Strong relationships are at the heart of the Adams/SSi mission. To reach applicants, we will leverage referral network databases that work with potential job seekers. These include online job sites, community and faith-based organizations, veteran and social service entities, city and county organizations, and educational institutions. ATCs are consistent, constant recruiters for the airport community. They conduct daily structured outreach activities to improve the effectiveness of periodic community events, job fairs, and information sessions. ATCs fully leverage Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, LinkedIn, and other social media to reach targeted applicants, spotlight employee success, promote stakeholder stories and emphasize the benefits of working at airports.

Partnering with Workforce Development Systems: Adams understands how to work with publicly funded workforce systems to recruit, and SSi knows the baseline requirements needed to place qualified job seekers. We will leverage our joint experience to benefit the airport community and close the staffing gap at airports.

Results Driven: The Adams/SSi Team is passionately committed to continuous improvement. We are results-driven. We will utilize data analytics to track our recruitment and placement performance for our ATC operations.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: Adams/SSi incorporates a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in every aspect of workforce development. We emphasize multicultural awareness for staff and job seekers in our programs. The Adam/SSi leadership team is ethnically and culturally diverse and reflects airport-community values.

Quality Applicant Training: Adams/SSi will ensure applicants receive the necessary preparation to thrive in the airport workforce. We will work with airport stakeholders to design self-paced Introductory Courses and pre-badging courses for applicants based on TSA and FAA requirements. This will allow new hires to hit the ground running and mitigate potential service delays that occur during training. Our approach will ensure that new hires are successful in the vetting and credentialing process for employment and access to secure airport areas.

Value of Adams/SSi Team for Your Own One-Stop Airport Talent Center (ATC)

Team with 30+ years in workforce development services and aviation training
Career Navigators to guide applicants through the application process and initial training
Community Liaison to promote aviation job openings to community partners
Relevant aviation training to prepare applicants for employment
Consistent, constant recruiting via consolidated messaging
Onsite support for stakeholders, tenants, and applicants
Continuous collaboration about hiring needs

Required Space: An effective ATC operation will require two rooms outside of the TSA area to provide adequate space for meeting with stakeholders and applicants. The ATC will require computers for applicants to conduct job search activities, participate in online training, fill out online applications, and/or print resumes. Reaching job seekers requires consistent availability. In addition to online website access to resources, ideal ATC operation hours are 7am-7pm Monday-Thursday and 2pm-5pm Saturday. ATCs will have the flexibility to adapt hours to airport needs on occasion.

Resource Needs

Office space for ATC Customers, Training, and Information Sessions
Staffing: Project Director, 2 Career Navigators, and Community Liaison
Equipment: Computer monitors/desks/chairs, printer, meeting room table and chairs, office supplies, phone line, airport network access
Utilization of Marketing Firm
Maintenance and Cleaning Services

Proposed Staffing & Roles: We will have a Project Director to lead our staff and oversee the ATC. They will meet routinely with tenants to assess their hiring needs. Our Career Navigators will work with applicants to ensure they are prepared for employment. They will conduct a Security Threat Assessment for all applicants to ensure they meet badging requirements. Our Community Liaisons will collaborate with community-based organizations, educational institutions, and workforce entities. They will conduct job fairs and join forces with organizations that service special populations to co-host specialty hiring events. Community Liaisons will design job fairs that target specific industries such as hospitality, ground handling, security, and aviation.

Summary: The Adams/SSi Team’s Airport Talent Centers are a holistic approach to workforce recruiting that enhances the success of airport community stakeholders. Our innovative ATC solution will promote world-class employment experiences and provide local, regional, and national economic benefits for years to come.